Railroad-spike.



in s in CLARENCE 0. SMITH, OF FBYEBURG, MINE.

BAILROAD-SPIKE.

Application filed J' uly 16, 1915.

To all whom it may conce'rn Be it known that I, CLARENCE O. SMITH,

v a citizen of the United States, residing at F ryeburg, in the Countyof Oxford and State of Maine, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railroad-Spikes; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the 1nvention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto make anduse thesame.

This invention relates to spikes especially designed for securingrailway rails to t es, and has for its principal object to provide animproved railroad spike including essentially a main spike element, alocking element movable into a longitudinal bore etending through aportion of the main shank and simple and eflicient means for on the line2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of the lockingelement removed. i

Referring to the drawing in detal, wherein similar referencenumeralsdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral5 indicates the shank of a spike of the usual or any pregterredconstruction having a laterally pro ectng rall base-engaging head 6 atone end and a cutting edge 7 at the opposite end. From the headed extremity of the spike shank 5 the latter is formcd with a longitudnalbore 8 terminating at a point adjacent the opposite` extremity of thespike shank in a pair of dlvergent or oppositely curved passages 9,defining deflecting surfa'ces 10 for deflectng the prongs of the lockingelement to be hereinafter described. The locking element designatedgenerally by the numeral 11 includes an elongated body or shank portion12 having a head 13 at one end defining an Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Feb., 29, 1916.

Serial No. 40,299.

annular shoulder 14: and a longitudinal slit 15 extending a distanceinwardly of the opposite end defining a pair of prongs orlocking'tongues 16, the adjacent surfaces of the free ends of which areoppositely beveled, as indicated at 17, to define cutting edges. bore 8in the spike shank 5 is preferably rectangular in cross section, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 2, and the body 12 of the locking element iscorrespondingly shaped so as to lock the same against rotationalmovement in the shank subsequent to being properl inserted therein.

A gasket 18 formed of lead or other similar soft metal is slidablypositioned upon the body 12 of the locking element and is adapted to beengaged by the annular shoulder 14 so as to force the gasket into theupper extremity of the bore 8 between the body 12 and the upperextremity of the spike shank 5 In use, the spike 5 is driven into thetie or other object in the usual manner and the locking element 12 isdriven into the bore 8 until the head 13 thereof forces the gasket 18into the space between the body of the locking element and' the wall ofthe bore 8, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 thus' efiectively scalingthe upper extremity of the bore and preventing leakage of mosturetherein.

It is further evident that in -addition to excluding moisture from thebore of the spike, the. gasket 18 in its wedged position provides aneiiicient and eiiective means for,

preventing removal of the locking element and also insures againstrelative vibratory movement of the locking element and spike incident tothe travel of trains over the track.

During the longitudinal movement of the locking element, the beveledsurfaces 17 of the prongs 16 engage the deflecting surfaces 10 of thecurved passages 9 and are curved laterally, as clearly illustrated inFig. 1, and engage in the fibers of the tie or other object laterally ofthe spike shank 5, thus reliably locking the latter against removal WhatI claim is:

A spike including a shank having a longitudinal bore extending from oneend to a point adjacent the opposite end thereof and terminating in apair of curved or divergent passages, a locking element havinga pair ofprongs at one end adapted to engage in said divergent passages, a headat the opposite The e end of said locking element, and a malleable metalgasket positioned upon said looking element adapted to be moved intosaid bore by said head during driving of the looking element to excludemoistire from the bore of the shank and to prevent relative movement ofthe locking element and shank.

In testiinony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE O. SMITH.

witnesses:

BURT C. WEBB, JAMES FLINT.

